Aaron Lustig Movies

It promises to be a busy week at the Federal courthouse in this final episode of Monk's fourth season. The Feds are prepared to escort "most-wanted" criminal Miguel Escobar (Carlos Gomez) to his long-overdue trial, and Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is summoned to jury duty on a minor robbery case. Though it makes him queasy to be locked in a room with eleven strangers, Monk appears to be in no hurry to leave when he is the only one to vote "Not Guilty." As he tries to sway the other jurors to his way of thinking, Monk finds himself saddled with another legal headache when the body of a dead woman is found stuffed in a dumpster just outside the courtroom. This being Monk, it is virtually a foregone conclusion that our hero's "Not Guilty" ballot, the woman's death, and the impending Escobar trial are all linked together. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Even in the womb, Phoebe's (Alyssa Milano) baby is showing signs of demonic powers. Anxious to rule the Underworld, The Seer (Debbi Morgan) schemes to steal the baby and plant it in her own body. Meanwhile, the malevolent infant is slowly but surely taking over the rest of Phoebe's body, with the intention of killing Phoebe's half sister, Paige (Rose McGowan). Has the time come at last to enact the all-too-rare "Power of Three" spell? ~ All Movie Guide

How far will a man go to win the woman he loves? That's the devilish question behind this satirical romantic comedy. Elliot Richards (Brendan Fraser), a low-level white-collar worker, has fallen in love with his co-worker Allison (Frances O'Connor), who barely knows he exists. Desperate to win her love, sad sack Elliot is approached by the Devil (Elizabeth Hurley), who offers him seven wishes in exchange for his soul. Elliot accepts, but none of his wishes works out quite the way that he had hoped; after transforming himself into a South American tycoon, a champion NBA basketball player, a famous author, the most sensitive man in the world, and even the president of the United States, Elliot discovers that the Devil has added a crucial loophole each time, and for all his troubles, Allison still isn't interested in him. Directed by Harold Ramis, Bedazzled was adapted from the 1968 cult movie of the same name written by and starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Dan (Josh Charles) finds himself in hot water as an interview he did for Esquire three months ago is just now hitting the stands and implies he supports the legalization of marijuana. When network representatives swoop down and insist on an on-air apology, Dan balks at the thought -- primarily since he fails to see whom the apology should be directed toward. While the show's executive producer Isaac Jaffee (Robert Guillaume) doesn't disagree with Dan's arguments, he also insists on the apology in order to efficiently end the matter. Meanwhile, the same article that got Dan into trouble has also gotten Casey (Peter Krause) worked up with the article's suggestion that Casey is the "uncool" member of the duo. As all of this unfolds, Natalie (Sabrina Lloyd) asks Casey to help Jeremy (Joshua Malina) with his first news story, since her impartiality is at risk due to her having a crush on the new analyst, while Dan suspects that he may have an on-staff stalker. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide

Among the suspects in a nurse's murder are an actor, a mentally unbalanced man -- and, even more disturbingly, the police officer (Michael Wiseman) investigating the case. In another development, a "good samaritan" bike messenger is killed after stumbling onto a cache of drugs; this time out, it is Jill (Andrea Thompson) who cracks the case. And despite his doctor's advice, Andy (Dennis Franz) refuses to confront the seriousness of his medical condition. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a three-part story arc, Drew (Drew Carey's thinks it's a laugh and a half when he concludes a memo limiting personal phone calls at the store with a xeroxed cartoon, showing a confused caterpillar having carnal relations with a crinkle-cut french fry. Everybody else thinks the cartoon is funny too--everyone, that is, except uptight would-be feminist Nora O'Dougherty (Jane Morris), who threatens to sue Drew for creating a "hostile workplace." Meanwhile, Kate's (Christa Miller) obsessive ex-boyfriend Barry (John Schafer) is forgotten but not gone. Kelly Perine makes his first series appearance as Chuck the security guard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This emotion-filled story stars Whoopi Goldberg, Mary-Louise Parker, and Drew Barrymore as three women from different walks of life who find comfort in each other through tragedy. Parker plays Robin, an HIV-positive real estate executive who meets Jane (Goldberg), a lesbian lounge singer on her way to the West Coast who needs a driver. Robin volunteers for the job, and along the way, they stop in Pittsburgh to visit her friend Holly (Barrymore), who is pregnant and abused by her boyfriend. In an attempt to save Holly, all three decide to head West together to begin a new life. But they get only as far as Arizona before Robin falls ill and the three are forced to learn to rely on one another for growth and emotional sustenance. Jane, though concerned about Robin's condition, also finds herself with a romantic interest in her ailing companion. Holly confronts her need to be with abusive men, while Robin comes to grips with her fear of being alone and the realization of her own impending death. Fans of Herbert Ross' earlier Steel Magnolias (1989) might appreciate this movie, which tackles some of the same themes. Sometimes referred to as a "feminist road movie," the film deals with women who find one another in a time of crisis and realize that the bonds among women are more powerful than any of life's obstacles. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

While watching TV with a group of friends, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is amused by an amateurish-looking production being presented on a cable-access channel. Before long, however, Jessica realizes that the "production" is the real thing: the TV is hooked up to a surveillance system. Worse still, the on-screen "characters" are planning a big-time robbery, with murder a likely option! Future Everybody Loves Raymond costar Doris Roberts shows up as a woman with a very, very serious problem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Anxious to quit smoking, a married couple tries hypnosis. When their opportunistic children see how well it works, they decide to use the techniques to improve the quality of their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A young girl secretly adopts a runaway monkey only to have to deal with the simian's mischief-making tendencies in this family comedy. Young Eva (Thora Birch)'s dreams of having a pet are frustrated by the objections of her mother (Mimi Rogers) and allergic stepfather (Christopher McDonald). When she finds a stray capuchin monkey, she cannot resist it, and she keeps the animal -- which she names Dodger -- hidden in her room. Eva doesn't know that Dodger has just escaped from an evil organ grinder named Azro (Harvey Keitel, playing a regrettable Gypsy stereotype), who had trained the monkey to become an accomplished pickpocket. Old habits prove hard to break, and Dodger begins stealing everything in sight, landing Eva in plenty of trouble. Her problems are only compounded by the actions of the unscrupulous Azro, who wants to find Dodger and use him as part of an important robbery. The standard misunderstandings and slapstick comedy ensue, with the spunky Eva struggling to protect her new pet and herself. While probably too predictable to appeal to many adults, Monkey Trouble's skillful animal antics and resourceful young heroine may prove entertaining to youngsters. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Placed on a strict diet and exercise regimen by Vivian (Daphne Maxwell Reid), Philip (James Avery) bribes Will (Will Smith) to sneak him a thick-and-juicy cheeseburger. The result: Philip suffers a heart attack--and Will holds himself responsible. This episode is a superb blend of uproarious comedy and poignant drama, especially when a grief-stricken Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) balks at visiting his dad in the hospital. And catch the character name of Philip's doctor! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-television thriller tells the story of an unstable woman who goes to bizarre lengths to keep her drifting lover. Kate Jackson stars as Rita Donohue, a nurse who believes that she can re-ignite her disinterested lover's passion by having a child. Unable to have a child of her own, Rita plots to snatch an infant from her hospital's maternity ward to later pass off as her own. She feigns a pregnancy, switches records on a stillborn and healthy child, and then steals a baby from new mother Jane Morgan (Lori Loughlin) in order to support her charade. The plan goes sour though, when Jane refuses to accept the hospital's claim that her child died, and she investigates the unsettling clues on her own. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide